Academic Honesty
A foundation of mutual trust is essential to the learning community. That trust is broken when the standards of right and wrong are violated through academic dishonesty.
Academic dishonesty is a serious breach of trust within the LeTourneau University community because it violates the regard for truth essential to genuine learning and Christian consistency. From a broader perspective, it hurts all students and their peers who try to do their work with integrity, and, therefore, cannot be tolerated by the university.
Academic dishonesty is not qualitatively different from other types of dishonesty. It consists of misrepresentation in an attempt to deceive. In an academic setting, this may take any number of forms, such as:
- Copying or using unauthorized aids in a test, including take-home or online examinations, papers, or projects.
- Plagiarism, the submission of work created by someone else as if it were one’s own, presenting the work of someone else without acknowledging the source.
- Looking at an examination paper or answer sheet of another student.
- Obtaining before or during the administration of a test, unauthorized information regarding the test.
- Submitting the same academic work for credit more than once without consent.
- Cooperating or aiding in any of the above.
- One who facilitates any of the above is equally responsible with the primary violator.
Penalties will vary depending on the severity of the offense and may include a failing grade on an individual assignment or exam, a failing grade for the course, disciplinary probation, suspension, or dismissal. If a student commits a second offense of academic dishonesty, the minimum penalty will be a failing grade in the course. The Office of the Vice President of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies handles academic dishonesty issues.
